Storage battery container



Dec. 15, 1964 R. A. woRRELL STORAGEBATTE RY CONTAINER l age batteries.

United Statesl Patent O Jersey Filed May 25, 1962, Ser. No. 197,729 2 Claims. (Cl. l0-2.2)

The present invention generally relates tolabeled stor- More specifically, the present vinvention is concerned with a new and novel combination of a storage battery container and a label therefor.

Storage battery containers are generally molded of hard rubber or'othe-r similar non-conductive material and Aare provided with brand identification, capacity, and other pertinent information by means of suitableindicia molded therein. For eye appeal and to make such information more readilydiscernible` such indicia are` usually roll painted to provide contrast with the container. This not only requires costly painting equipment and intricate container molds, lbut alsol necessitates the use of a different container for each specific brand and type of battery produced. This adds to vthe cost of battery containers and,

3,15%,970 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the battery of FIG. l with the label applied thereto.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 generally designates a rectangular battery container of hard rubber or `other similar non-conductive material dimensioned to receive aconventional automotive type'storage battery. As shown the container 1 has sides 2 and 3 and ends 4 and 5. The conventional details of the container 1 are for illustrative purposes, since the present invention is concerned only with the side Walls 2 and 3 and ends 4 and 5 and to details thereof pertinent tothe application of an adhesive label thereto. The side walls 2 and 3 of the container l and portions of the end walls 4 and 5 are provided with recessed label receiving surfaces 6 which, in the embodiment of the present invention illustrated, extend along the lengths of both side walls 2 and 3 and fractional portions of both end walls 4 andV 5. It should be understood, however, that in accordance with the present invention thatv the recessed label receiving surfaces 6 need not extend over the entire lengths of the sides of the batteries and to fractional portions o-f both ends 4 and 5 provided that they extend continuously along a in addition, necessitates high container inventory.V The use of adhesive labels has heretofore been suggested, but this has proven generally to be unsatisfactory due to the inability of most labels to withstand the corrosive environments which surround batteries in their operation, the labor required to apply the label and has generally not provided for uniformity of product. In addition, the problem of uniform application of adhesive labels to batteries is more difficult ywhen it is desired to extend the label to more than one side of a battery container, due to the entrapment of air between the label and the container. This problem is further complicated when the label is made impermeable to air with an electrolyte resistant coating.

portion of one side wall and a fractional portion of one end. Still further, in the embodiment of the lpresent invention illustrated, it should be noted that the label receiving surfaces 6 are symmetrically arranged on both halves of the battery container and thus for labeling purposes-it is not necessary that the battery be oriented in any particular direction.

The label receiving surface 6 is provided with a plurality rof grooves spaced from one another which extend the length of the label receiving surface including the In accordance with the present invention an inwardly recessed label receiving surface is provided along at least a part of one side and a portion of at least one of the ends of the container. This label receiving surface has a plurality of grooves spaced one from the other extending lengthwise along the one side of the battery and extend# ing along the part of the ends of the battery container. These grooves provide channels for a flow of air trapped behind the label outwardly from the label receiving surface, thereby permitting an adhesive label to be secured to the label receiving surface with a minimum of distortion due to ai-r entrapped between the label and the con tainer. The battery container is also provided with at least one distinctive marking means adjacent to the label receiving surface for symmetrically locating the label on continuing parts on the adjacent end of the surfaces. The

grooves 7 provide channels for the ow of air that would otherwise become trapped behind a label outwardly from `the surface 6.. The battery container 1 has distinctive marking means S adjacent to said label receiving surface 6 to aid in symmetrically locating the label on said label receiving surface 6. While these distinctive marking 'means 8 are shown, it should be understood that one may attack by a battery electrolyte and on its rear surface an said surface, thereby facilitating the rapid and uniform y attaching of the label to the container. An adhesive label is secured to the whole of the label receiving surface including said side and portion of the ends of the batadhesive for axing it to the container 1. A thin layer of vinyl resin applied either by means of a spray or a unitary layer has been found to be completely satisfactor for protecting the exposed surface of labels forautomotive type batteries from attack by electrolyte. The label 9 in addition to its distinctive indicia of brand, perform- `ance characteristics, quality and the like, also has a dis- FIG. 2 is a top elevation of the battery of FIG. l with the label partially applied;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the channels provided in the label receiving surface of the battery; and Y tinctive marking or markings l@ adapted to coincide with the distinctive marking or markings 8 on Vthe container 1 upon the application of the label to the label receiving surface 6, thereby insuring the symmetrical location of the label on the label receiving surface.

Referring specifically now to FIG. 2, there is shown a top elevation of a battery in accordance with the present Vinvention with the label 9 partially applied to the label receiving surface 6. As shown, the label 9 has been se` cured to the label` receiving surface 6 at its mid-point with the distinctive markings S and 10 on the containerand label respectively coinciding and is then progressively adhesively fastened to the surface 6 from its` mid-point outward toward the ends 4 and S with any air trapped behind the'label being free to escape through the channels 7 as illustrated diagrammatically by means of the arrows 11 in FIG. 2. Once theflabel is completely secured to the label receiving surface onf/the side 2 of the battery,

the portions of the label adapted to wrap around and be afxed to the ends of the battery 4 and 5 may be secured with a continuing sweeping motion along the surface of the label 9. As shown in FIG. 4 wherein the battery is illustrated with the label applied, the label is completely recessed in the label receiving surface 6 and thus, is protected from tearing and ripping by contact with adjacent equipment. Because of the distinctive marking means 8 and 10 on the container and the label, the ends of the label will coincide effectively with the recessed label receiving surface and the presence of the grooves 7 assure that the outer surface of the label 9 will be free of air pockets and distortion due to air trapped between the label and the container 1. Accordingly, it can be seen that by means of the present invention there is provided a means for assuring the uniform and symmetrical application of labels to storage batteries.

Having described the present invention, that which is claimed as new is:

l. A storage battery container comp-rising a casing having two substantially identical side walls and two substantially identical end walls, two recessed label receiving surfaces extending along at least a part of one side wall and a portion of an adjacent end wall, said label receiving surfaces having a plurality of grooves spaced from one another and extending along substantially the entire length of said label receiving surfaces, and at least one of said label receiving surfaces having adhesively secured thereto a label having on its exposed surface a coating resistant to attack by battery electrolyte, said label cov- 4 ering substantially all of the label receiving surface to which it is attached.

2. A storage battery container comprising a casing having two substantially identical side walls and two substantially identical end walls, two substantially identical recessed label receiving surfaces extending the entire length of each side wall and a portion of both en d walls, said label receiving surfaces having a plurality of horizontal grooves spaced from one another and extending along substantially the entire length of said label receiving surfaces, and at least one o f said label receiving surfaces having adhesively secured thereto a label having on its exposed surface a coating resistant to attack by battery electrolyte, said label covering substantially all of the label receiving surface to which it is attached.

A References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Grether 156-87 0 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SPECK, Examiner. 

1. A STORAGE BATTERY CONTAINER COMPRISING A CASING HAVING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL SIDE WALLS AND TWO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL END WALLS, TWO RECESSED LABEL RECEIVING SURFACES EXTENDING ALONG AT LEAST A PART OF ONE SIDE WALL AND A PORTION OF AN ADJACENT END WALL, SAID LABEL RECEIVING SURFACES HAVING A PLURALITY OF GROOVES SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID LABEL RECEIVING SURFACES, AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LABEL RECEIVING SURFACES HAVING ADHESIVELY SECURED THERETO A LABEL HAVING ON ITS EXPOSED SURFACE A COATING RESISTANT TO ATTACK BY BATTERY ELECTROLYTE, SAID LABEL COV- 